Month: June 2017

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given…
Ephesians 3:8

The Apostle Paul stands out to the New Testament church as second only to Jesus Christ in the far-reaching effects of his ministry and in the fervency of his service. He was mightily used of the Lord to carry the gospel to foreign lands, and thousands of souls were brought to salvation in his day because of the Gospel seed that this faithful brother planted. He was a well-educated man, having studied under the highly respected Jewish rabbi Gamaliel (Act 22:3), and Paul’s teaching at times was so profound that even the Apostle Peter had to say his words were “hard to understand.” (2Pe 3:16) Yet, with all his accomplishments, it is this servant of God in our text today who wrote to the Ephesians that he was “less than the least of all the saints”. Not just least…LESS than the least!

This spirit of humility and service unto others is exactly the character our Lord exhibited, and it’s the example He was giving us as He washed the disciples feet in Joh 13:

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (v. 13-17)

This manner of life is contrary to our culture which encourages us to brag on ourselves, pamper ourselves, and put ourselves first. Men may win the applause of other men that way. They may advance within the company that way. But the Lord is emphatic about the eventual outcome: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luk 14:11) May we desire the honor that comes from God rather than men and live after the instruction given in Php 2:3: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

Jamie

“…how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:”
Ephesians 3:3-5

This mystery that the Apostle Paul speaks of in this text is in essence the gospel that declares the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, later in Ephesians, he calls it “the mystery of the gospel.” (6:19) These truths are understood as simple concepts to the youngest Christian today, and yet, at one time, the men and women of God did not fully know them. Considering our text along with other places in scripture that the topic is mentioned, we find this mystery to include truths like:

The death of the promised Messiah and His exalted state after His resurrection. The Jews were looking for Christ to establish an earthly kingdom, but instead, the prophets foretold of “the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.” (1Pe 1:11) 1Co 2:7-8 says that if the “rulers of this age” (that’s spiritual and earthly rulers) had known this “mystery [of] the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory” then “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Satan didn’t understand his fatal mistake when he moved men to kill Jesus!

The fact that God would send His Spirit to dwell in His people. According to Col 1:26-27, part of “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints…is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” What does that mean: “Christ in you”? How is it accomplished? Well, Jesus explained the meaning as He taught His disciples how experiencing the Spirit of God would be different for the Old Testament saint than for that of the New Testament believer.  He said, “the Spirit of truth…dwells with you and will be in you.” God’s intention was to live inside us! This coming of the Holy Ghost would be just like Christ Himself dwelling in us for He continued, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” (Joh 14:17-18)

That God would build His church by including the Gentiles in the rich promises that would belong to every believer in Jesus Christ. It is this truth in particular to which Paul was referring in our main text in Eph 3:3 for explained further in v. 6 “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.” Those of us not of Jewish descent ought to respond to this news just like the men of Antioch did when Paul left off speaking to the Jews of the city who had rejected the gospel and turned instead to the Gentiles: “Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.” (Act 13:48) Thank God for declaring His salvation to all the earth! (Isa 45:22)

The amazing thing about this “mystery” is that none of these facts come as a surprise to us today. That’s what I hope will get our attention! They are simple, Sunday-school truths that have become commonplace. May we rejoice and never lose our thankfulness for the words of Christ spoken in Mat 13:16-17: “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Jamie